Thursday, January 9, 2025
Today: 1349 – The Jewish population of Basel, Switzerland, was accused of poisoning wells and burned alive during the Black Death persecutions. 1431 – Judges’ investigations for the trial of Joan of Arc began in Rouen, France. 1768 – Philip Astley opened the first modern circus in London, establishing the format of equestrian performances and […]
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Today: 1198: Lotario de’ Conti is elected Pope Innocent III, becoming one of the most influential popes of the Middle Ages. 1297: François Grimaldi, disguised as a monk, leads a surprise attack on the fortress of Monaco and establishes Grimaldi rule over the region. 1790: George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address […]
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Today: 1325 – Alfonso IV became King of Portugal, succeeding his father, King Denis. 1558 – The French forces captured Calais, the last English stronghold on the mainland of France. 1608 – Fire destroyed Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in America. 1610 – Galileo Galilei discovered the first three moons of Jupiter: Io, […]
Monday, January 6, 2025
Today: 1066 – Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England, succeeding Edward the Confessor. 1205 – Philip of Swabia becomes King of the Romans after being elected by German princes. 1540 – King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife, though the marriage is later annulled. 1649 – The English Rump […]
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Today: 1477 – The Battle of Nancy takes place during the Burgundian Wars, leading to the death of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and marking the end of Burgundy as an independent power. 1500 – Duke Ludovico Sforza recaptures Milan with the help of Swiss mercenaries during the Italian Wars. 1757 – Robert-François Damiens […]
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Today: 1493 – Christopher Columbus, on his first voyage, leaves the New World to return to Spain. 1642 – King Charles I of England attempts to arrest members of Parliament, leading to the English Civil War. 1762 – Great Britain declares war on Spain during the Seven Years’ War. 1790 – George Washington delivers the […]
Friday, January 3, 2025
Today: 1521 – Martin Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem for his role in the Protestant Reformation. 1777 – The Battle of Princeton occurred during the American Revolutionary War, with General George Washington’s forces defeating British troops. 1868 – The Tokugawa shogunate in Japan was abolished as […]
Thursday, January 2, 2025
Today: 1492 – Reconquista ends as Muhammad XII, the last Moorish ruler of Granada, surrenders to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. 1757 – British forces, led by Robert Clive, capture the Indian city of Calcutta from Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah. 1788 – Georgia ratifies the United States Constitution, becoming the fourth U.S. state. 1839 – The first […]
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Today: 45 BCE – The Julian calendar, instituted by Julius Caesar, came into effect for the first time, making January 1 the beginning of the new year. 404 CE – The last known gladiatorial competition took place in Rome after being banned by Emperor Honorius. 630 CE – Prophet Muhammad set out from Medina to […]
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Today: 406 – Vandals, Alans, and Suebi crossed the Rhine into Gaul, marking a significant moment in the decline of the Western Roman Empire. 1600 – The British East India Company was incorporated by a royal charter issued by Queen Elizabeth I, paving the way for British colonial expansion in Asia. 1687 – The first […]